Leafpool and Crowfeather
by WolfShine
Summary: This story takes place at the end of the fifth book in New Prophecy, Twilight. Leafpool battles with her dilemma to stay a medicine cat or go with the love of her life Crowfeather. Cinderpelt desperately wishes her apprentice would stay. Squirrelflight is cautious to her sister's disapperances and Crowfeather is desperate to get away from it all.
1. Chapter 1

Leafpool sat alone by the edge of the river. Overhead the moon shone into the shimmering stream. The night seemed so peaceful. fish swam by every once in a while to break her moonlit reflection to shining pieces. Her insides burned with her dilemma. Crowfeather was her soul mate-she knew it from the moment he had saved her life. She connected with him- she knew she could spend her life with him.

But he was from another clan.

And she was a medicine cat.

Times before she had walked in dreams with Thunderclan's old medicine cat Spottedleaf. But now the beautiful tortoiseshell wasn't around when she needed her the most. Was StarClan ignoring her because they felt that what she was doing was wrong? No, they would warn her wouldn't they?

Leafpool bowed her head feeling as though she was a horrible medicine cat. What kind of a medicine cat could fail to read the signs of StarClan? Maybe that was a sign by itself.

Leafpool sighed, feeling hollow and alone. She wanted to talk to her mentor Cinderpelt, have he rake her ears with her sharp edged words. She wanted to hear from her mentor what a foolish kit she was being. She had a Clan she was responsible for keeping healthy.

But was it really wrong of her to think of leaving? The clan had Cinderpelt- the most brilliant medicine cat in all the clans not to mention Brightheart had medicine cat training if Cinderpelt ever needed help. All the nights Leafpool had snuck out to meet Crowfeather, StarClan had never gotten angry. The Clan didn't need her.

If what she was doing was so wrong then Spottedleaf surely would've come to her. The only thought that stabbed her heart like a barb was of leaving her sister Squirrelflight without a word. They had been so close since they were kittens, not to mention their special bond that had allowed them to keep in touch with each other during the trip to the Sundown Place. How could she leave her only litter-mate for a cat of another Clan?

Leafpool sighed and padded carefully back to camp. Dustpelt was still on watch from when she had left. The small brown tabby nodded at the medicine cat as she passed. Inside the camp was quiet. The moon shone brightly overhead, illuminating the clearing in ThunderClan's camp a ghostly white.

Leafpool tried to peek into the warrior's den to catch a glimpse of her sister but it was too dark. Sighing dejectedly she crept lightly into the medicine cat's den. Her mentor Cinderpelt was curled in her nest fast asleep. Her soft gray back was curled up towards the entrance.

Leafpool crept over to her. She stuck out a shaking paw and gently prodded her mentor in the side. This was going to be the hardest talk of her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Crowfeather paced the WindClan camp restlessly. He flicked his tale irritatably every few minutes as he moved. It was past moonhigh, the moon turned the moors a gentle silver color from its place in the sable sky. Crowfeather was a moving shadow in the ivory camp.

The only sound he could hear was Onestar in his den furiously whispering to his deputy Ashfoot. The rest of the camp was silent- all sleeping around the edge of the clearing. Crowfeather found sleep was impossible to come by tonight. It was always hard to come by when his mind was working as hard as it was.

He missed Leafpool, he wished desperately that she would agree to come with him. Ever since the death of Tallstar and the rebellion of Mudclaw, WindClan hadn't been the same. The tensions caused at Onestar's leadership still hadn't been completely resolved.

Crowfeather couldn't care either way. Ever since the Great Journey he had found the other clans weren't as hostile as he had been raised to to believe. In all his time in WindClan he hadn't managed to make friends. Cats from the other Clans gave him a chance. Even Tawnypelt, a ShadowClan warrior, had shown him some kindness.

Onestar was making himself ill with his fury over ThunderClan. ThunderClan was where Crowfeather's heart lie. He had made friends there and found th eperfect mate for him. What was keeping them apart were the Clan rivalries.

He sighed and flicked his tail again. He wished he could find a place without boundaries and silly rivalries. He knew that with every hair in his pelt he wished he hadn't been raised under the Warrior Code. Kittypets weren't better than warriors (Crowfeather wuld rather eat crowfood than be one) but suddenly he found himself envious. Kittypets at least had the freedom to roam where they wanted to, and interact with whoever they wanted to.

He slipped out through the gorse tunnel. He needed to get out of camp before his frustrated yowl woke his clanmates. Tornear was on watch. The tabby tom turned at his approach. He stood to his paws before padding over to Crowfeather.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Out," Crowfeather said feeling thin patience for the tiresome questions of the guard.

"To?" Tornear asked tipping his head.

Crowfeawther didn't answer that question as he streaked away across the moors. His long legs carried him away from the camp in a matter of seconds. The wind blew as he ran, stinging his eyes and making it harder to draw in breath. Finally he gave up.

He stood on the moon bleached moors panting. The open fields were so simple, so nice compared to the crowded WindClan camp. He remembered there were moors elsewhere. Moors that lie just outside of Clan territory.

Thank StarClan, there was hope for him just yet.


	3. Chapter 3

Cinderpelt stirred for a minute before she opened her big blue eyes all the way. She glanced at Leafpool sleepily as she sat up.

"What is it, Leafpool?" she asked as she drew a gray paw over her face.

"We need to have a talk," Leafpool mewed with a serious tone.

Cinderpelt heard it right away. Her paw dropped from her face as she met Leafpool's gaze. "What is it?"

"I'm leaving," Leafpool stated.

Cinderpelt's eyes doubled in size.

"You're _what_?" she mewed.

"I"m leaving," Leafpool repeated. "Tonight."

Cinderpelt's back raised in instant anger. Her pelt stood on end as she faced her apprentice. The tiny kit that she had spent many moons molding into a decent medicine cat.

"You're a medicine cat Leafpool. Do you have any idea what that means?" Cinderpelt mewed calmly despite her stature.

Leafpool shook her striped head. Instantly she regretted deciding to tell Cinderpelt of her decision. What else could she have done?

"It means that you became a special part of this Clan. You can share tongues with StarClan and look out for your clanmates. You can make them better atter the worst battles. They need us Leafpool. You took an oath on the day that you became my apprentice that you would always care for your clan."

"I do care about ThunderClan," Leafpool said shaking her head sadly. She wanted so badly to explain herself to Cinderpelt but with so many thoughts spinning like sparrows in her mind it was difficult to pinpoint the thing she wanted to focus on.

"Then show it," Cinderpelt said. "Stay."

"I'm doing what I think is best for the Clan," Leafpool offered.

Cinderpelt shook her head. "What could possibly be worth giving up your position as medicine cat, giving up your position in ThunderClan?"

"I-I realized that I want kits," Leafpool told her.

"Kits? You want kits?" Cinderpelt said. "That's against the medicine cat code. You knew that from the day you began hanging around my den."

Leafpool nodded. "I never realized it would be so hard."

"Of course it's hard. Most times our minds and hearts want polar opposite things," Cinderpelt said. "I can maybe understand being a normal Warrior again but why do you have to leave ThunderClan?"

"My mate..." she began.

"Is from another Clan?" Cinderpelt guessed sounding upset once again. Even more than she had been a few minutes ago.

"Yes," Leafpool said hesitantly.

Cinderpelt merely sighed and the fire in her eyes went out. "I know I can't make you stay, I just wish you knew what was important."

"I do know what's important," Leafpool argued.

"If you leave I can guarantee you'll regret it for the rest of your life," Cinderpelt said.

Leafpool held her gaze for a long minute. "I"m willing to make that risk."


End file.
